Patta celebrates the storied history of Clarks Originals in Jamaica with the launch of an exclusive two-piece collaboration focused on the Desert Trek.
There is no doubting the deep-rooted cultural history of Clarks Originals silhouettes in Jamaica, a love celebrated by the nation musically by Vybz Kartel, Popcaan, and Gaza Slim in their 2010 track titled 'Clarkes'. The track brought Jamaica's love for Clarks to international attention, with domestic news platforms reporting on their love of the British heritage footwear label. Stories like these are what cements Clarks Originals unique cultural positioning, with each of their collaborations - such as their recent launch with the Wu-Tang-Clan's Wu-Wear - showcasing their wider connections to music and style on an international front.
Their latest collaboration serves as a love letter to the Jamaican infatuation with Clarks Originals silhouettes, a love letter written by Amsterdam's very own Patta. Referred to as the "Bank Robber" in Jamaica, the silhouette of choice for this collaboration is the iconic Desert Trek, a silhouette that has sat on the feet of island legends both past and present. When designing both colourways of the collaborative silhouette, Patta's co-founder Guillaume Schmidt wanted to pay particular attention to the island's role in endorsing the heritage style, going on to comment: “I don’t think people are aware of this role. We see it as our mission to put certain things into perspective and this collaboration is our opportunity to do so.”
Guillaume went on to further comment that: “We owe this in part to Jamaican culture. The island and its people is one of the reasons this shoe is still hot.” With this love and appreciation for the cultural relevance of the silhouette brought full circle through the lens of acclaimed documentary photographer Stacii Samidin who shot the collection's lookbook in Kingston.
Take a closer look at the Patta x Clarks Originals Desert Trek below, and ready up to shop the release via Patta's London, Amsterdam, and online stores from August 23rd. A further release via Clarks Original's Berwick Street flagship is scheduled for August 31st.
